Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in United States
United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP was 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in United States, 1960–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
United States recorded 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP for cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 31.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in United States peaked at 0.2202 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP, in 2024.
That places United States 66th out of 202 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in United States, year by year
| Year | tonnes per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.2202 tonnes per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1961 | 0.2175 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -1.2% |
| 1962 | 0.2074 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.6% |
| 1963 | 0.2015 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 1964 | 0.1924 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.5% |
| 1965 | 0.182 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.4% |
| 1966 | 0.1704 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -6.3% |
| 1967 | 0.1655 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 0.1554 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -6.1% |
| 1969 | 0.1476 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.0% |
| 1970 | 0.1439 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 0.1364 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.3% |
| 1972 | 0.1278 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -6.3% |
| 1973 | 0.118 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -7.6% |
| 1974 | 0.1118 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.2% |
| 1975 | 0.1052 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.9% |
| 1976 | 0.0971 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -7.7% |
| 1977 | 0.0896 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -7.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0814 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -9.1% |
| 1979 | 0.0748 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -8.2% |
| 1980 | 0.0704 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.8% |
| 1981 | 0.0641 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -8.9% |
| 1982 | 0.0628 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 0.059 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -6.1% |
| 1984 | 0.0542 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -8.1% |
| 1985 | 0.0515 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.0% |
| 1986 | 0.0497 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 0.0479 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 0.0453 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.3% |
| 1989 | 0.043 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.2% |
| 1990 | 0.0415 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 0.041 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0395 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0384 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0368 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 0.0358 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 0.0346 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 0.0332 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 0.0321 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 0.0308 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.0% |
| 2000 | 0.0295 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 0.0292 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 0.0288 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 0.028 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 0.0267 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 0.0255 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 0.0245 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 0.0238 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0238 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.0246 tonnes per US$ of GDP | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 0.0241 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 0.0236 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 0.0229 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 0.0224 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0218 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0213 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 0.021 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.0204 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 0.0196 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 0.019 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 0.0194 tonnes per US$ of GDP | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 0.0177 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -8.8% |
| 2022 | 0.0163 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 0.0155 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -5.2% |
| 2024 | 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP | -4.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.0111 tonnes per US$ of GDP, 1.3× the median. (73 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.186 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.1476 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.2202 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1086 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0748 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.1439 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0548 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.043 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0704 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0364 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0308 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0415 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0264 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0238 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0295 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0216 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.019 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0241 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0167 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 0.0194 tonnes per US$ of GDP | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 274,482 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,922 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 213,560 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 229.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7,627 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 107,381 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 89,068 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,313 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 336.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 654.05 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in United States?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in United States was 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2202 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 1960.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2024.
- How does United States rank for cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp?
- United States ranks 66th out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions ÷ GDP (current US$)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.